Sounding reed



fune 29,1926.

l.. J. GRUBMAN SQUNDING REED Filed May 9, `192:5

Amnmllllllllw INVENTR enf m m'end-of the sound channel or passage.

Patented June 29, 1926.

1 UNITED STATES `mila PATENT OFFICE.

-LEo J. GRUBHAN, oE BELLE HARBOR, NEW YoRx, AssIeNoR To voIoE's, lINCOR- PoRA'rEn, or NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, A coRRoRa'rIoN' 0E DELAWARE.

SOUNDING REED.

-Afpncatanmea may s, 1925; serai No. 29,005.

This invention relates to sounding reeds, and has for its primary object to provide a reed' constructlon for ci-1ers, voices, and

ofther sound producing devicessuch-as are 0 nel or passage. k

It is another object of mv invention to provide a sounding reed wherein the use ofcement, adhesives, 'bindings or other Lfaslt` ening means to;4 secure theseveral parts in l5 lixed relation is dispensed withwhile at the same time the vibratory sound producing element will be positivelyk secured and reltained in its operative position with relation to the walls of the sound channel or 2o lpassage so that it will at all times function.

. in a positive and reliable manner.

To the above end, the essential features of my present improvements in one embodiment thereof consist in the-provision of a sound passage or channel formed in a wall structure and opening at one of lits ends f upon one side of the Wall for t'helegress of sound therefrom together with a vibratory sound producing element -positioned in a nrecess or seat ,formed in the opposite side -face of said wall and Isurrounding the open side pf said channel and a retaining member for said elementJ engaged upon one end' vthereof to fix said element in aligned relation with` the channel, said retaining, member having a part resiliently bearing on the f sound producing. element and said element having avibratory tongue projecting be- 'yond said part and overlying the ingress Itis a further general object of my inven- `tion to provide a sounding reed, the several parts ofwhich maybe inexpensively producedV by simple mechanical stamping opera- 5 vtions and then vexpeditiously assembled into ',.proper cooperative relationship. x

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the improved soundingreed, and infthe Jform, constructionand relative arrangement of the several parts thereof, as will be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accom'- panying drawings, and subsequently in-l coporated in the'subjoined claims.

In the drawings wherein I havehillus:

trated one simple and practical embodiment of my improvements, and in' which similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views,.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through a'so nd producing device or crier illustrating one application of my present invention;

Fig. 2 is a lhorizontal section taken on the line 2--2^of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a plan View of a wall provided with my improved sounding reed;

the line 4--4 ofvFig. 3;

` Fig. 5 is a transverse section taken on theline 5--5 of Fig. "3;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary plan'view similar Fig. 4 is a `longitudinal section taken 0n` to Fig. 3, the vibratory sound producing element 1 and its retaining member being omitted; l

Figl 7 isa detail plan view of the sound producing, element, and y Fig.. 8 is asimilar view of the retaining member. y y -For the purpose of illustrating one application -of my present improvements, I have illustrated in the accompanying drawing, a well known type of sound producing device or crier such as is'used in dolls, but it,

will become apparent as this descriptionproceeds that in so far as the new reed construction is concerned, it is applicable to various other devices dil'erently constructed and designed for other purposes or uses.

As shown in Fig.' l, the sound producing means is enclosed within a tubular casing oi'shell 5 having suitably formed heads 6 and 7 respectively applied to its opposite ends and the head 7 being perforated for 4the escape of sound therethrough. 'lo the op.- posite end of the casing wall 5 one end of a tubular flexiblebellows Wall l8 is suitably fixed, the other end of said tubularwall being provided with a weighty gravity movable head. As herein shown, this `head consists of an outer cup-shaped member 9 of heavy metal, and the end of the tubular bel@ lows wall is frictionally vclamped against the l inner face ofthe marginal wall of this mem- A from the o enin said charme the ace of the Wall l() is formed ber by a flanged disc or wall 10 which is inserted within said end of the tubular bellows wall and then forced under pressure within the member 9. This latter member is prof vided with one or more openings such as that indicated at 11 whereby sound may freely escape from the space between said member and the wall 10 into the casing or shell 5 and finally pass through' the escape openings in the casing -head 7 In the illustrated construction, my improved sounding reed is provided on the wall 10 of the weighty bellows head. AS herein shown, a part of this Wall indicated at A12 is die stamped or forced under pressure out of the plane of said wall to provide a channel or passage 13, the channel wall 12 Vat one of its ends being spaced from the Wall 10, at which point an opening 14 is formed in the latter-Wall, thereby providing for the free and unrestricted egress of sound form said end of the channel. As clearly shown lin Fig. 6 of the drawings, the side walls O f the channel 13 extend in parallel relation 14. At the open side of with a recess Ior seat 15 surrounding said channel. The opposite walls of this recess 3. converge towards each other from the egress end of said channel to the opposite end thereend is of so that said recess is of the longitudinally tapering 'formas illustrated in Fig. 6 of the \drawin f Within the recess 15 and over the o en side of the channel 13 the sound producmg element 16 is adapted to be positioned. This element consists ofathin metal strip having a relatively wide portion 17 conforming in' shape to the wider end portion of the recess 15 and adapted to fit snugly therein, 'lhel `portion 17 of said element at its narrower rovided with the relatively narrow longitu inally projecting tongue 18, the opposite side edges of which extend in parallel nrelation with eachother. This tongue is of slightly greater vwidth than thewidth of the channel 13 so that it 'overlies the opposite side edges of said channel. At this end of the channel 13, the base wall of the recess 15 iscurved awa from the inner face of the wall 10 as indicated at 19, thereby increasing the depth of this end of the recess 15. Thus,- the tongue 1,8 of the sound producing element occupying the normal position shown in Fig. 4 of the drawin is spaced from the curved section 19.o the base wall of the recess 15 and may, therefore, -have free and unrestricted vibration in said 4vrecess over the ingress end to the channel' 13.

conveniently stamped from a thin sheet of liber or other material and is of such dimensions that when it is forced longitudinally against the wider end wall of the recess-15, the edges of said member have a frictional wedging coaction with the edges of said recess, thereby-securely locking said retaining member within the recess upon the sound producing element. This retaining member 20 at its narrower end terminates in a taperedsection 21, which it will be observed, is free from frictional binding contact with theside walls of the `recess 15. This end portion of the retaining member 2O there- `fore exerts a yielding resilient pressure upon the intermediate portion of the 4sound producing element 16 which is of corresponding shape and connects the parts 17 andl 18 thereof with each other. It will be'evident that since the part 17 of the sound producing element 16 lits snugly Within the wider end of the recess or seat 1,5 and abuts closely at its side. and end edges against the corresponding edges of said seat, ,that said sound producing element will beheld against any possibility of longitudinal shifting movement in either direction or of transverse. shifting movement in said recess so` provements resides in initial y producingl and thereafter maintaining an absolutely acf curate alignement of the. vibratory tongue with respect to the ingress end of the soun( receiving channel or passage. l/Vliile I preferably secure this sound producing element in.place bythe frictional interlocking engagement of the superposed pad or retaining member 20 with the Walls of the recess I or seat 15, any other or additional fastening or securing means may employed for permanently fixing the vibratory sound producing element with relation to lthe reed channel. y

Fromthe above description, the construction of my improved sounding reed and the manner of assembli'n its severalparts will be clearly understoo wAssuming that ,tle

reed is applied to a device of the construction as shown in Fig. 1, in the gravity descent of .the 'weighty' bellows head, air will of course, be expelled under pressure from the bellows cham er bounded by the flexible Wall 8 and forced through the channel 13. As the airl enters the ingress end of this channel,

ing devices. may be greatly expedlted byy which I have found to be very eiicient and the free tongue 18 of the sound producing element 16 is caused to rapidly vibrate, thereby producing sound, such sound waves passing :freely through the channel and being emitted from the egress end thereof. Owing to the form of the sound producing element and the resilient coaction of the end 21 of the retaining pad 2O therewith, the tongue 18 may have a maximum amplitude of 'vibratory movement without liability of distortion or permanent change in its normal relationship to thein ess end of the sound channel or passage. eretofore it has been necessary to rovide'a binding, cement, or other means or fixing the vibratory sound producing element with relation to the reed channeh The reed as a separate unitary device, was then mounted or arranged in its operative position throu h an opening formed in the wall. It wi 1 be seen that I produce the sound channel or passage ofthe reed directly in the wall structure and provide a very simple and novel means for mounting the sound producingelement and xing the same in relation to the open side of said channel which does not involve the application or use of adhesives or other binding or fastening elements than the retaining member 2() which also possesses the additional function of yieldingly resistingv excessive vibratory movement of thetongue 18. It will be appreciated that this retaining membencan be very easily and quickly inserted in placef and rictionally locked within the end of the recess 15 in the manner above explained. Therefore, the quantity production of such criers or sound producmeans of my pnesent improvements.`

VWhile I have herein shown and-described one practical embodiment of the device satisfactory in its operation in actual pract1ce, it will nevertheless be understood that the'essential features of lmy improvements.

may also be embodied in various other alter. nativestructures, and I accordingly reserve the pr1v1lege of adopting all such legitimate changes in the 4form, construction and relat1ve arrangement of the several parts asi'may be fairly incorporated within' the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

I claim: l 1. In a sounding reed, .a wall having a channel therein open at/oneend. for the egress of sound, a sound producing element 'overlying the open side of saidchannel and having 'a vibratory tongue Vat one end impeding the ingress of air to the other end' oi said channel, and a retaining member for said element extending longitudinally thereon, said wall havin means coacting with said retaining mem r to positively lock said member against elongitudinal displacement relative to said tongue.

2. In a sounding reed, a'wall having a channel ,therein open at one end for the egress of sound and also provided with a recess surrounding said channel at the open side thereof, a sound producing element having a part seated upon the base Wall of said recess and provided with a free vibratory tongue projecting longitudinally from said part and overlying t e other end of said channel to impede the ingress ofair thereto, and a retaining member engaged upon said first named part of the .sound producing element and frictionally coacting with the walls of said recess and held thereby against displacement relative to said tongue.

3. In a sounding reed, a wall having 'a channel therein openat one end for the egress of sound and also provided with a recess surrounding the open side of said channel and having-its side walls converging towards each other from the egress end of the channel to the opposite end thereof, a

sound producing element positioned in said,y recess'and having a vibratory ton ue over--l lying the latter end of the channe and impeding the ingress of air thereto, and a retaining member engaged upon said sound producing element an frictionally coactirig with the side walls of said recess to secure said element against bodilyL displacement relative to said channel.

4. In 'a sounding reed, a wall having a channel therein open at 911e end for the y lying the latter end. of the Vchannel and lmpeding the ingress of air thereto, an'd a tapering retaimn member adapted to. be engaged 4upon sai, y ment and moved longitudinally thereof into rictional engagement with` .the sidewalls of said recess to secure 4said sound produc` ing element against bodily displacement relative to said channel. p v

5. In a sounding reed, a w-all having a. channel therein open lat one end for the egress of'. sound andalso provided with a Asound 'producing elello recess surroundingthe o' n side of said channel and having its si e walls converg- 'ing towards each other from the egress end of the lchannel to the-opposite end thereof, a sound producing element positi/fied in said recessand havinga vibrato .tongue overlying the latter end of there nnel and `impeding the ingress of air t ereto, and a' tapering retaining member adapted to be engaged upon said sound .producingelement an moved longitudinally thereo into frictional engagement with the side walls ot said recess to secure said producing element against bodily displacement relative to said channel, and said member having a reduced end portion spaced from the tapering portion adapted to be engaged upon the` base Wall of. said recess and frictionally coacting at its side edges with the converging side Walls of] the recess, said element having a relatively narrow vibratory tongue projecting from/said taperedv portion thereof and overlying said channel to impede .the t ingress of air thereto, and a retaining member corresponding in form to the tapered portion of said sound producing element and' vadapted to be engaged rthereon and moved longitudinally thereof into frictional `binding engagement with the side walls of said recess to -Secure said sound producing element against displacement relative to Asaid channel.

lchannel therein open at one end for the egress of soundand said wall provided with a. recess surrounding said channel at the open sidethereof, and a sound `producin element adapted to be tte'd within said re'- cess and having a part interlocking with the walls" ot the recess to prevent longitudinal shifting movement of said element `relative to said channel, and said element also hav` ing a' free .vibratory lsound producingtongue overlyin the other end of said channel to impede t e ingress of air thereto.

8. In a sounding reed, a Wallhavingv a channel thereinopen at one end for thel egress of sound and provided with a, recess surrounding said channel throughout; its length at' the open side thereof, and a sound producing element adapted to be fitted ing element within said recess.

9.1m a sounding reed, a wall having a channel therein open at one end for the egress of sound and also provided with a recess surrounding the open side .of said channel and having its Walls converging towards each other from the egress end of the channel to the opposite end thereof, a sound producing element positioned in said recess and having a part overlying the egress end of the .channel and abutting snugly against the Widerv end edge and the side edges of said recess to prevent longitudinal y 7. In a sounding reed, a Wall having .aY

or -transverse shifting movement of said sound producmg element in said recess, and said element havlng a relatlvely narrow vibratory tongue spaced from the walls of the recess and overlying the `other end of said channel to impede the in ess' of air thereto.

In testimony that I c aim theforegoing as -my inventlon, I have signed by name hereto. i

. fr .noL J. GRBMAN.' i 

